Drinking Blood Economically, Painlessly and Easily: The Practical Facet of Mortal Vampirism

Dracula passed out of existence "almost in the drawing of a breath" (Stoker, 183). But the vampire craze that Bram Stoker and Bella Lugosi derived from folklore is still very much alive. The immortal vampire thrills and frightens us from the pages of novels and the flicker of cinema film. Most enthusiasts concede that the theory of immortal vampirism has not been sufficiently proven or disproven. However, the existence of mortal vampires, humans who, through an inborn psychological or physiological impulse, supplement their diet with blood, is readily proven.

Although this subculture, if it may be called such, faces potential legal restriction and social discrimination, the most immediate concern of its members is rooted in its universal characteristic. As a mortal vampire, one takes on an enormous personal risk and responsibility for one's donor, while balancing one's checkbook with the reality of his or her options. A lack of publicly available information leaves the most pertinent questions unanswered. How does one drink blood without fear of disease? How does one ensure the safety and comfort of his or her donor? Which method of extraction is most practical and economical? What, in short, is the best way to draw blood for consumption?

Personal preference and social availability drive mortal vampires to obtain blood either from human or animal donors. When drawing blood from a human donor, a vampire might consider phlebotomy, the use of a syringe to remove blood from an artery, cutting, lancing, or biting. ¹ Animal blood may be legally obtained either by purchase from a butcher or by hunting wild game and processing it oneself.²

The primary anxiety of blood drinker and blood donors is the safety of the method being used. In human donation, blood-borne pathogens and infection are a concern for both parties. Basic disinfection before and after the skin is broken lessens the chance of skin infections greatly, according to an anonymous nurse who has written several articles to benefit mortal vampires ("Drawing Veinous Blood"). Any tools, such as needles, lancets, or blades, must be sterile as well ("Drawing Veinous Blood"). As outlined in an article by Sarah Dorrance, to completely prevent wound contamination, oral contact must be avoided. Biting, therefore, greatly increases the risk of infection, since the teeth and tongue come into direct contact with the wound. HIV/AIDS and other diseases do not transmit well through ingestion of bodily fluids. "Oral sex is actually pretty safe unless the mouth has sores or cuts. Saliva and stomach acid are both hostile to HIV and tend to kill the virus. Blood drinking is not more risky than oral sex" (Dorrance). If the proper precautions are taken, wounds made by phlebotomy, lancing, and cutting are no more prone to infection or contamination than a paper cut or flu shot.

Excess bleeding and anemia are related issues that concern donors. Excess bleeding can lead to an emergency situation, but is easily avoided. The Body Modification Ezine suggests that clean, not serrated, wounds that are made away from major arteries cause only moderate bleeding, akin to that produced by a shaving cut (Scarification FAQ). Lancing produces only a droplet of blood, while proper cutting can produce several milliliters. As Vampires: The Occult Truth points out, biting tears the skin, rather than cutting it, potentially causing arterial damage and heavy bleeding (Konstantinos). Anemia, a deficiency in iron or red blood cells, can be caused by excess or overly frequent blood loss. Ravena, author of "Blood: How Much is Too Much?" suggests that one should use a technique that produces controlled amounts of blood and should take care not to exceed 473 milliliters in donation per eight-week period, the amount recommended by the Red Cross.

Phlebotomy carries with it an array of specialized risks when not performed by a licensed practitioner, "a nasty hematoma being the least you can expect if something goes wrong" (Dorrance). If the blood is taken from veins in the ankle or leg, there is a high risk of acute blood loss ("Drawing Veinous Blood"). Excessive donation through phlebotomy can heighten susceptibility to shock and, ultimately, lead to cardiac arrest ("Drawing Veinous Blood"). An untrained individual may also be unable to identify a syringe that is damaged, however slightly, or contaminated, and may expose his or her donor to arterial damage or infection.

For mortal vampires who feed from animal sources, safety is still an issue. The primary cause for concern is food poisoning. Blood from a butcher is most likely processed off-site and may be contaminated with botulism, E. coli, salmonella, or even hepatitis A, all major causes of food poisoning (Dorrance). If a vampire hunts and processes wild game for its blood, as Sarah Dorrance points out, "you at least know where the blood came from". However, while that may bring peace of mind, it does not ensure that the blood is free from bacteria. Self-processed animal blood is also at great risk for contamination (Dorrance).

Disease is also a danger when buying or processing animal blood. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as "mad cow disease," might be spread through blood consumption, although a definitive study has not been produced ("Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy"). Likewise, trichinosis, an infection caused by a nematode worm often transferred through the consumption of infected pork, has not been proven to transfer through blood ("Trichinosis."). However, the possibility of contracting either infection is enough to deter many mortal vampires from buying blood from a butcher.

Ironically, over-medication of factory-farmed animals is another concern for many mortal vampires. Again, authoritative research has not presented an absolute danger to humans from consuming the flesh or blood of animals that have been excessively vaccinated ("Farming, Industrialized"). Avoidance of factory-farmed animal blood is, in this instance, a personal preference based on the individual's level of comfort.

After considering the various safety issues associated with the drawing and consumption of blood, a tentative order may be formed. Phlebotomy appears to be the safest, if it is performed by a licensed phlebotomist; otherwise, it carries with it as severe health risks as any other method. Biting seems to be the most dangerous outright, since it carries the most risk of skin infection and excess bleeding. Cutting and lancing share the middle ground. Each presents a mild risk of skin infection and excess bleeding, if executed properly. Neither buying blood nor hunting to obtain blood appears to be very safe; both of them leave the vampire at incredible risk of food poisoning.

Comfort, of course, is a relative term. All methods of blood withdrawal cause a level of pain, and the comfort of a human donor rests on his or her tolerance for pain. Phlebotomy and lancing have been experienced if the donor has given blood to the Red Cross or a hospital. Phlebotomy often causes an initial sharp pain, followed by an uncomfortable or burning sensation that may last for the duration of the procedure. Lancing produces a sharp preliminary pain and, often, slight soreness. The sensation created by cutting could be equated to that of tattooing (Scarification FAQ). Biting, in a survey of college students, was considered to be the most painful, as biting tears the skin, causes more damage to nerve endings, and takes the most effort to produce a sufficient wound.

When drawing from an animal source, the degree of pain experienced cannot accurately be determined. A mortal vampire might be concerned with the treatment of animals in commercial farms. If he or she believes that the animal will have suffered less if it is simply shot, he or she may choose not to buy blood from a butcher. Ultimately, however, animal donors lose their lives. Many mortal vampires, including Burke Lefferts, "would never drink blood from an animal, nor would I kill an animal." Because of this widespread view, animal donation is not widely accepted.

Again, biting takes a low seat to other human donation methods, followed closely by cutting, which was indicated to be the most painful of the remaining methods in a survey of college students. Phlebotomy and lancing are generally considered to be the last painful. When comparing factory-farmed animals with wild game, the issue of comfort is left up to one's personal opinion.

In order to be practical, a chosen method of blood withdrawal should be easy on one's pocketbook. Biting requires no special tools and therefore generates no overhead cost. Cutting and lancing both require only the instrument used to make the wound. Sterile lancets can be purchased in packages of one hundred for $3.96, making the cost per donation approximately four cents (Tolin Medical Supply). Size ten surgical blades, suitable for cutting as long as each blade is used only once, are sold for approximately eighteen cents apiece (Tolin Medical Supply). In order to practice phlebotomy legally, one must be licensed, a $350.00 fee (Phlebotomy Workshops). Thereafter, each donation requires a sterile syringe, available in five-milliliter capacity for twenty-one cents apiece (Tolin Medical Supply). If the licensing fee is distributed over one year, the cost per weekly donation for that year comes to $6.94.

When buying blood from a butcher, the cost may vary according to the time of year, specie of animal from which the blood has been collected, and demand for blood in one's geographic area. On average, the cost of packaged blood is one dollar per fluid ounce, according to J Morgan, owner of Morgan's Meat Market in Mattoon, Illinois. However, if a butcher does not regularly sell blood, the cost may be somewhat higher (Morgan).

Hunting is an expensive process. The first document one must obtain is a firearm owner identification card, which costs five dollars in the state of Illinois (Illinois Firearm Resource.). Proper stamps to hunt in Illinois can cost up to $44.50 (Illinois Firearm Resource.). One should expect to spend $2000.00 for a used firearm in good condition (Thomas), in addition to a two-dollar background check fee (Illinois Firearm Resource.). Ammunition averages five dollars per box, and a box generally contains fifty rounds (Illinois Firearm Resource.). If the documentation and purchasing fees are averaged over fifty possible shots, the cost per shot comes to $40.14. It is also helpful to keep in mind that shooting at an animal does not guarantee that one will kill the animal. Therefore, if only one animal is taken per box of ammunition, the full cost of that animal's blood would be $2051.50.

In the area of cost-effectiveness, the tentative ordering seems to invert. Biting is the most desirable, as it produces no additional cost. Lancing and cutting can both be achieved for less than twenty cents per donation. Phlebotomy, at almost seven dollars per donation, is the least economic human donation method. Purchased blood costs only a dollar, on average. Hunting is the most expensive method, with cost per animal reaching into the thousands.

Of course, none of the aforementioned data holds any relevance if a method of drawing blood is not physically possible. While geography, demographics, and regional legalities often seem to be the deciding factor for a mortal vampire, one must remember that other criteria must be considered, if only to ensure a vampire's own well-being. Nevertheless, physical availability is a standard that must be met in order for a method to be employed.

Phlebotomy workshops are not held in many areas, especially rural or mildly urban communities (Phlebotomy Workshops.). In order to be legally protected, a phlebotomist procedure must be performed in a controlled medical setting, either a clinic or hospital (Phlebotomy Workshops.). In addition, sterile syringes cannot be purchased without the authorization of a physician (Tolin Medical Supply). Therefore, the likelihood of a mortal vampire obtaining the necessary training, tools, and setting for phlebotomy is minute.

By contrast, cutting, lancing, and biting are available in nearly all areas. Biting can be performed in any locale and does not require tools or equipment that may hinder its availability. Blades and lancets are available in most drugstores, through medical supply companies, and online. As long as both participants are consenting adults and the city or township statutes do not prohibit blood consumption, all three methods can be practiced legally. Notably, some townships and cities do prohibit self-abuse and would likely categorize lancing, biting, and cutting as such if the procedures came under the scrutiny of the law (Lefferts). This restriction may be overcome by signing a professionally drafted release form (Lefferts).

Most towns and cities have a butcher who can retail animal blood, even if there is not usually a high demand for blood in the area. The sale of blood is not subject to legal restriction, as long as it has been legally processed. One is not required to meet any stipulation when purchasing animal blood (Morgan.).

Hunting is very limited in availability. A mortal vampire can only hunt on approved property, during hunting season (Illinois Firearm Resource.). This severely inhibits its use as a constant source of blood. Urban residents may also be unable to hunt unless they travel to do so. This inconvenience quickly makes hunting a far less practical choice.

In short, phlebotomy and hunting appear to be the least available to mortal vampires at large. Purchased blood seems to be reasonably available. Cutting and lancing are also available to most individuals, regardless of residence, although potentially conflicting with local statutes. Biting, though it shares that same concern, is the most readily available method.

One must combine the preceding criteria in order to determine the best possible method of obtaining blood for consumption. The ideal method would be both safe and comfortable, as well as economically feasible and realistically available. While no method fits all four stipulations perfectly, one can choose the best of six options.

Phlebotomy proves to be a mixed array. It is the safest of the four human donation methods and is one of the least painful. However, it is extremely expensive. Also, unfortunately, it is not legally and physically possible for the great majority of mortal vampires. Because of its unavailability, the average blood drinker cannot consider phlebotomy.

Biting also produces conflicting results. It is the most easily practiced method of human donation and is the most cost-effective. On the other hand, biting is the most painful and dangerous method. In the interest of the donor, one must categorize biting as an unacceptably risky practice and, therefore, not ideal for practical use.

Cutting, on the whole, is quite promising. It carries only moderate health risks, which can be limited even further by avoiding oral contact and disinfecting wounds. The level of pain associated with cutting falls into the middle range. It is economically favorable and is available to most any mortal vampire. In all, cutting is a reasonable choice.

Even better, however, is lancing. The margin of error due to inexperience is far greater in lancing, as it causes the least physical trauma. It is easily affordable, relatively painless, and widely available. If a mortal vampire chooses to feed from a human donor, lancing is, by far, the best method of blood withdrawal.

For those who turn to animal donation, the choice is a blurry one. Neither method is particularly desirable. However, one can certainly rank both methods and choose the better of the two.

Hunting is, undoubtedly, the worst method of animal donation. It is extremely expensive, due to various equipment and licensing costs. It is only available to individuals in certain regions, for a few weeks per year. After and during processing, hunted animal blood is extremely susceptible to contamination. Indeed, its only merit is that some mortal vampires consider it to be more humane than purchased blood. If serving only as a method of obtaining blood, hunting is unlikely to be seriously practiced.

Buying animal blood from a butcher is the better choice for animal donation. Unlike hunting, it is a relatively inexpensive practice that is available to the majority of mortal vampires year round. However, it shares the high risk for food poisoning and is generally considered to be less humane than hunting. If personal preference allows for factory-farmed animals, buying is the most practical animal donation method.

Overall, human donation tends to be both safer and more economic than animal donation. Therefore, the best possible method for obtaining blood for consumption must be the use of sterile lancets with a human donor. In the world of the mortal vampire, this conclusion ends a basic conflict. It allows the individual to engage in what they perceive to be a necessary behavior in the safest and most comfortable, economic, and practical way possible.

It is unlikely that Dracula would have been so popular, had he pricked the fingers of Miss Lucy and Madam Mina to feed. However, he would have been providing a more accurate portrayal of vampires. Beneath the romantic veneer of the fantastic immortal vampire, we find the life of the mortal vampire, and an existing subculture far more interesting than fiction.

1. Menstrual fluid may also be consumed, and is considered to be an intimate experience between donor and vampire (Blackmore, par 6). However, it is an extremely rare practice due to personal comfort levels and the fact that menstrual fluid consists of blood and other tissues, giving it a clotted, somewhat unpleasant texture and different taste (Blackmore, par 6). For this reason, this method will not be discussed in this analysis.

2. Taking blood from one's pet is illegal (The Humane Society of the United States). Therefore, it will not be discussed in this analysis.

Works Cited

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Dorrance, Sarah. "Safer Feeding Techniques." Sanguinarius. Comp Sanguinarius. 7 March 2003. .

"Drawing Veinous Blood." Sanguinarius. Comp Sanguinarius. 7 March 2003. .

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Illinois Firearm Resource. 18 August 2002. National Rifle Association. Accessed 10 April 2003. http://www.impactsites2000.com/site3/home.htm>.

Lefferts, Burke. Personal Interview. 27 March 2003.

Morgan, J. Telephone Interview. 5 April 2003.

Konstantinos. Vampires: The Occult Truth. St. Paul, MN: Lewellyn Publications, 1998.

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Ravena. "Blood: How Much is Too Much?" Sanguinarius. Comp Sanguinarius. 7 March 2003. .

Scarification FAQ. 2003. Body Modification Ezine and PsyberCity. Accessed 21 April 2003. < http://www.bme.freeq.com/scar/scar-faq.txt>.

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Drake Publishers Inc, 1975.

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Thomas, David. Personal interview. 6 March 2003.

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"Trichinosis." Encarta Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 1998 ed. City: Pub, 1998.